The Arkansas Tech Golden Suns made history Friday by winning the inaugural Great American Conference regular-season championship.

Arkansas Tech (15-5) didn’t just win its 10th straight match, but it shut down the Henderson State Lady Reddies 9-0 on Senior Day at the Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex. The Golden Suns finished league play a perfect 6-0. It’s their first conference title since winning the last Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) championship in 1995.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment for this team,” Tech head tennis coach Abby Davis said. “This was the goal we had in mind when we started practice in the fall and this group of players went out, worked hard and earned this championship.”

With the regular-season title wrapped up, the Golden Suns now turn their attention to next weekend’s GAC Tournament hosted by Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia. Tech is the No. 1 seed, earned a first-round bye and will meet the winner of the No. 4-No. 5 match in one of the two semifinals at 3:30 p.m. next Friday. The championship match is slated for 2 p.m. April 21.

Friday’s contest with the Lady Reddies (2-11, 1-4) marked the final home match for Tech’s four seniors — Mariel Alvarez of La Paz, Mexico, Akanesi Fa of Suva, Fiji, Rachel Stevens of North Richland Hills, Texas, and Brittany Turner of Pearcy. Alvarez, Fa and Stevens are all two-year letterwinners, while Turner is a four-year letterwinner for the Golden Suns.

“I am so happy for our seniors. To be able to go out with a win in your final home is tremendous,” an elated Davis said.

Tech opened Friday’s 85-minute by winning all three doubles points, including its No. 3 team winning by default. HSU only had four players available to play on Friday. The Golden Suns won the two doubles matches it played by identical 8-0 scores. Tech closed the regular season with a 17-1 mark in doubles in league play, including its No. 1 team of Alvarez and Fa going 6-0 in GAC play.

In singles play, Tech clinched the match by winning at the No. 5 and 6 spots by default. The Golden Suns won three of the four singles matches it played by identical 6-0, 6-0 scores, while junior Maria Aleman (San Cristobal, Venezuela) posted a 6-0, 6-2 win over HSU’s Emily Eggleston at the No. 3 spot. It was the only two games the Lady Reddies took in the match.

Alvarez made history of her own Friday as she completed GAC play with a perfect 6-0 record at the No. 1 singles spot. She became the first Golden Sun to finish conference play with an undefeated record at the No. 1 spot in the lineup. In addition to Alvarez, Aleman and Stevens also finished with perfect 6-0 records in conference matches.

Arkansas Tech — which has won 11 of its last 12 matches, with its only loss at home March 19 against No. 37 Drury — closed the regular season with seven shutout wins, including winning four of its six GAC matches by shutout.